Hispanic Serving Institution

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

Please join us!!

To view the detailed information, click the flyer.

What does it mean to be an Hispanic Serving Institution?

San Diego Mesa College is proud to be formally designated a Hispanic Serving Institution
by the United States Department of Education. The purpose of this designation is to
provide Mesa College the opportunity to improve the academic attainment of Latino/a,
Chicano/a, Hispanic, or similar identities, and low-income students. Being an HSI
means we are a reflection of our students, their cultures, values, and life experiences.
It guides the direction of the college and how we go about the work that we do. Every
students deserves to feel connected and safe on campus and to have access to the programs
and services to successfully reach their goals. As an Hispanic Serving Institution,
Mesa is committed to be the Leading College of Equity and Excellence.

Proyecto Exito Grant

In Fall 2014, Mesa College was awarded a “Developing Hispanic- Serving Institutions-Title
V” five-year grant in the amount of $2.62 million. The purpose of the grant is to
improve the retention and graduation rates of Mesa’s diverse population, particularly
its Latino students, through systemic, institutional changes and improvements. Mesa’s
HSI / Title V program is entitled Proyecto Éxito, a name that combines the idea of
successfully exiting with a degree, certificate, or transfer-readiness with the Spanish
word for “success.” Mesa will use grant funds to help a higher proportion of its low-
income and Latino students experience academic success, allowing them to “exit” Mesa
with their goals met. For more information, contact the Title V HSI Program Manager,
Monica Romero, at mdromero@sdccd.edu

STEM CONEXIONES (STEM) GRANT

In Fall 2016, Mesa College was awarded a 5-year, $5 million Title III HSI STEM Grant.
The initiative, entitled “STEM Conexiones” (STEM Connections) supports a number of
instructional and student support practices aimed at strengthening the college’s capacity
to support Hispanic and low-income students. Specifically the grant aims to increase
student connections in STEM through enhanced counseling services, workshops, peer
mentoring and outreach; faculty connections through professional learning and STEM
curriculum redesign; and pathway connections working directly with high schools and
adult learners to prepare them for STEM majors. Through this grant the college will
establish a STEM Center and a STEM Research Incubator for students to begin undergraduate
research projects. For more information, contact the Title III HSI STEM Acting Program
Manager, Dr. Leticia P López, at llopez@sdccd.edu